6 months old

This little dude is 6 months old today!

Can you believe it? I hardly can...time has gone by so fast!

My little six-month-old is so sweet. He loves to snuggle and give great big sloppy kisses.

He just started saying, "ba-ba" and talking with distinct sounds. He's had his first taste of homemade bone broth, carrot juice and a bit of squash and is loving the textures and flavors. He's real close to sitting up on his own--and he's working on his very first tooth! 

This little man has got some crazy long eyelashes.

And the cutest feet I've ever seen. :)

He's definitely a momma's boy. And a daddy's boy. :) He gets SO excited about his daddy and is always watching where he goes...but he saves all the kisses and hugs for mommy.

Finley has made these last 6 months so joyful. Its hard to believe that only 6 months ago he made his debut and joined our family. It may have been a whirlwind of time with sleepless nights and puzzling situations, but we can't imagine that there was once a time when he wasn't here...it has felt like he's always been part of this family.

Wait. He has. :) He just didn't show up until 6 months ago.

We love you Finley.

Finley update

These last five months have been a blur in time. I thought the first year of Vienna's life went by super fast, but as Finley approaches the 1/2yr mark I am struck with the reality that his first year is going by far quicker. I'm a little saddened by this because I feel like I didn't even get to enjoy his infancy. In a blink of an eye he's nearly 16lbs, laughing, interacting, rolling over and reaching for our food--is he seriously that same tiny little snuggly bundle of love that joined our little family at the beginning of summer? My goodness...it's not fair how fast it goes!

I have wanted to blog about him for quite some time now...but being that time is like a whirlwind, it's been hard for me to blog period. 

If I can think of a word to describe Finley, it would 'strong.' I find this interesting because when I first got pregnant and long before I found out he was boy, the first thing I would unconsciously think of, apart from praying that the baby would be healthy, was that the baby would be strong. 

Finley, is indeed, very strong. Physically for one thing. In the first few days after he was born I remember hearing comments from people about how good his head control was. I too, was startled with the fact that my newborn had so much strength in him already. And now, well I'm not sure I've ever held a baby his age that is quite as strong as he is. His wiggly limbs have so much power to them when he moves. He loves to jump/bounce and seriously if I'm just holding him sitting on my lap and he decides to kick his legs--well, I make sure I hold on to him tight because he's come close to jumping right onto the floor in one quick movement. He also has amazing ab strength. lol. About two months ago he decided to try "sitting up" whenever I would lay him down. It looks like he's doing an ab crunch. He just lays there like that...holding his head up like he's just going to pop up to a sitting position. Goofy kid. :)

Not only does his physical strength amaze me, but so does the strength of his soul. He has had issues with acid reflux and food intolerances, and where most babies would scream in pain Finley does not. He wiggles, and squirms, grunts maybe, and as his mother I can tell when something is really bugging him--but if a random stranger saw him they'd think nothing of it. He's so mellow and tough. Granted, we've had more rough nights than good nights as a result of his discomfort, but he's just up...not screaming, which is something I am very thankful for...even if I'm not getting solid chunks of sleep. He has been known to have a fit here or there as a result of his issues, but with how much discomfort he's been in over the course of these last 5 months, he has been so strong and happy through it all. 

His acid reflux was noticeable pretty much right away after he was born. We even had him on medicine for it because it was bugging him so much after he'd eat. There were times it bugged him more than others, and it peaked right around the 3/4 month mark. We took him off of it when we realized the medicine was bugging him more than the acid reflux was, and so even though he still spits up/pukes several times a day, its getting better. I'm hopeful that he might outgrow it when he starts eating solids. 

At the same time the medicine starting really bugging him we finally were able to pinpoint some of his food intolerances as well. I had spent the course of...pretty much his entire life thus far...trying to eliminate things from my diet to see what was irritating him. I eat pretty simply, and avoid processed foods, gluten, refined sugar, and things of the sort in my regular routine. However, during the process of eliminating things that are common gas givers, I was "cheating" with food I don't normally eat more frequently than I typically do as result of traveling and being lazy. It was like an up and down roller coaster, but I had an inkling to the things that were bothering him and had some muscle testing done on him from my chiropractor and the results confirmed what I had been thinking. He is sensitive to: dairy protein (which encompasses all dairy), wheat, and white sugar. What his sensitivities entail, I'm not sure. I don't know if he'll have allergies later on in life, or if he'll outgrow them. But I do know he is a totally different baby when I avoid these things entirely. Along with avoiding anything with dairy, wheat or sugar...I also can't have tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, any citrus fruits, oatmeal and peanut butter. (The fruits and vegetables I can't have I'm hoping he will be able tolerate better after starting solids as they purely just give him painful gas verses irritating him on a different level.) You might wonder why I would still choose to nurse him with so many limitations, but to me, avoiding these foods is a small sacrifice if it still means I can feed my baby. After permanently staying off of these things (no cheating!) Finely changed almost drastically. He is SO incredibly happy. When I mean happy, I swear this boy never stops smiling. He has got the greatest smile and he sure likes to show it off. :) He also started putting himself to sleep. From his birth I always kind of felt like he had the possibility of soothing himself to sleep fairly easily but with all the things that were bugging him he just never stayed sleeping for more than 30 minutes at a time during the day. Now, I can lay him down with his pacifier and blankie and he puts himself to sleep in minutes. 

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!

I just have to pause and soak in the luxury of this fact. Considering that we pretty much had to rock Vienna until her brains fell out until she was 18+months old just get her to sleep...the fact that we have a baby that can put himself to sleep is like a miracle. 

Seriously. A miracle.

I could go on, but I'll stop there... :)

Back to how great Finley is.

I mean, look at this little guy...

Cute, right? :)

I mean, how can you not smile back at him? :)

Finley loves tummy time, always has. He loves watching his big sister play and gets super excited to see her when she greats him in the morning or after nap time. She likes to call him "Finley Roman," which I love because I just really love his whole name. Finley also loves his daddy so much, nobody can make him belly laugh like daddy. :) Daddy likes to call him "Finny."

Fin, Finny, Fineroo....Finley Roman--is 5 months old and is such a delight to this family. He has started giving kisses--it's about the cutest thing ever. He also gives hugs and often times when I pick him up he just squeezes his arms around me like he's so happy that I'm holding him. He likes to "talk," though he's not nearly as much of a talker as his sister was at his age, but he likes to try, he also likes to growl and blow raspberries. He can roll over from his back to his stomach, and from his stomach to his back--he's just beginning to realize he can move by combining these. He tries to get up on his knees already though has yet to succeed at it. He likes toys but gets really excited about his stuffed animals. He loves to be held but is totally chill with hanging out on the floor or in his chair. He loves to listen to mommy sing and he loves to be talked to. Talk to Finley and you'll be garunteed a smile. :)

He is such a smiley sweet boy. 

Little girls have wings

Did you know....?

...that fairies come in the form of little girls?

Little girls that like to have fun...

...and believe they can fly.

But of course they can fly...

they have wings!

Did you know fairies like to be silly?

...and play make-pretend?

Fairies like to be serious sometimes too...

and try to figure things out.

But most of all, 

fairies like to be sweet...

and so unbelievably cute. :)

Good morning, Mom

Someone wakes you up. They crawl into bed next to you and they feel warm and snuggly as they touch your cheek gently. They start poking at your face, first your eyes, then your mouth...they kick you unintentionally as they wriggle full of energy, but it hurt. It's morning. You're tired--you fell back asleep for the fourth time only an hour ago. You never knew an hour could feel like 10 seconds. The smiling little face staring at you couldn't be any cuter, and this makes you smile as you snuggle that little person and breath in the scent of their hair. All you want is to lay there, fall back asleep with that person in your arms. Twenty seconds later the blankets are being pulled off of you. Pestering little hands are tugging at your limbs like they're strong enough to move them. That little person make a noise that resembles an awful lot like a demand and carries that unmistakable note of whine. You hear another noise, this one is a cry and you know that you can no longer delay getting out of bed. So you do, though every part of you is screaming to stay underneath the warm covers and give in to your tired eyes. You try your hardest to be awake as you move, though your legs feel like a hundred pounds each and your brain feels like its still lying back there against the pillow. You greet a wriggly little human and even though you just saw them an hour ago their little grin melts your heart. You pick them up and oblige to the other little hand pulling at your arm, directing you somewhere. You're tired, and you realize that its still dark out. You feel another tug and realize how much you don't like your limbs being yanked on when your brain can't even function properly yet. You hear more whine and you have a hard time knowing that the pitch is a result of the hour...you wish everyone was back in bed, sleeping. And then you hear something--that quite familiar unmistakable burp followed by rushing liquid. You smell it--acidity...old milk stench. Next you feel it--the unpleasant warming sensation as it seeps through the layers of your clothes and wets your skin. Another wave saturates you before you even get the chance to react. You're slimy. You smell. You have gunk in your eyes. You realize you still have throw-up on your arm from the ten times you got spit up on yesterday and wonder if you'll get the chance to shower off the new stuff today. Its dark outside, it's morning, your babies are awake.

This is just their way of saying "Good morning, Mom."

Most favorites

My favorite day of the week? The days Andrew is off of work. Being together as a family is honestly the best part of my week...the best part of my day. Even if things are chaotic, the kids are crabby and we don't get the chance to say a whole lot to each other--just being together makes me happy. :)

Andrew starts his work week on Tuesdays, so while others may have been cursing that today is Monday, I was enjoying one of my most favorite days of the week...with my most favorite people. 

Being Beautiful

My daughter...will you grow up knowing what it means to be beautiful?

Today as I was getting ready to leave the house to run some errands I stood in front of the bathroom mirror and put my make-up on. I smiled when Vienna stepped up on her stool and started rummaging through my make-up bag, pretending to put things on her cheeks and eyes, just like mommy does.

I put my boots on, then helped Vienna with hers. I smiled as Vienna copied me as I adjusted my leggings inside my boot.

I remembered that I forgot to put my necklace on that I had intended to wear so I moved into the bathroom to get it. I smiled as Vienna followed.

I selected the necklace and hung it around my neck, then smiled when Vienna sweetly asked "me too?"

I took one of my necklaces and fastened it behind her neck. I smiled as she looked down at the little teal pendant resting against her chest.

I watched as she moved out of the bathroom, stood in front of the full-length mirror and admired the reflection she saw...herself--in her cute outfit, fixed hair, boots and necklace...

and I stopped smiling.

What is my daughter learning from me? Is she learning that being beautiful is looking polished and fashionable? Is she learning that being beautiful requires nice things to put on ourselves?

She learns so much by observing me, what exactly am I showing her is important?

As I watched her I was reminded of this verse: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4

It should have been no surprise to me that that verse popped into my head today as I watched my daughter admire her reflection in the mirror. It has been lingering there for quite some time as I look at the value of my own life. Am I concerned with my inner beauty as much as I am about my outer beauty? There is nothing wrong with wearing cute clothes, and wanting to look nice, or doing my hair and putting on make-up...but what about who I am on the inside? Am I letting that go neglect? And I forgetting that my soul is of great worth? Am I forgetting who made me beautiful in the first place and dwelling more on things that hold no value?

Beauty is such a delicate topic for women. I feel like most women grow up thinking: "If only I could look like that..." Even those that might think they look beautiful have some kind of insecurity about the way they are perceived. Why? Because women are the ultimate display of beauty.

God created the universe in 6 days...and each creation was grander than the previous. On day 5 he created birds...I love birds, they are so pretty and graceful. But even I can't deny the greater beauty of horse, which he created on day 6, over that of a bird. Women were the last thing he created.

Women are meant to be beautiful. Women are beautiful. And I think that is why women's beauty is so attacked and targeted, leaving every  single one of us feeling like we can always look better, because there is something that can be so exceptionally special about the beauty of a woman on the inside that we lose ourselves too much on the beauty of ourselves on the outside.

A big part of how Vienna is going to learn to be beautiful is from me. And that's terrifying. I want her to know that she will look beautiful regardless of what she wears. I want her to know that being beautiful isn't about adorning ourselves with all those fun things--like clothes and make-up and accessories--but it's about who she is on the inside. I want to show her to embrace her inner beauty...because she was created to be beautiful.

Being beautiful is in her heart and in her soul. It is in her spirit and in her love. Being beautiful is inside of all of us.

Flying Rocks and The Moon

Vienna is obsessed with the moon. Seriously. She talks about it at least five times a day. At lunch. When we go outside. In the car...

She saw the moon the other night while we were driving and got extremely excited about it. When it got out of her view she asked where it had gone and we told her it was hiding behind the trees. In which, we've had several conversations since then where she informs me that the moon hides behind the trees.

Then today I had an interesting little conversation with her while we were playing outside, it went something like this:


V: "Moon, dark?"

Me: "Yes, the moon comes out when its dark."

V: "Why?"

Me: "Because it glows in the dark, so it has to be dark outside to see it."

V: "Up high."

Me: "MmmHmm."

V: "Big tree, up high." (pointing to a tree in our yard.)

Me: "Is that tree so big?" (trying to avoid more 'moon' questions.)

V: "Uh-huh." (Pauses, squats down and intently studies the tree.) "Mommy. Fly?"

Me: (confused) "You want to fly?"

V: "Uh-huh. Fly. Big tree, up high."

She trots over to a pile of rocks she had been collecting and grabs two of the larger ones and hands one to me.

V: "Mommy. Rock, back." (As she holds the rock behind her back...instructing me to do the same.)

I obliged.

V: (with the rock still behind her back she studies the tree again and squats once more.) "Rock, back. Fly tree high....aaaaand JUMP!" (As she jumped with all of her might.) "FLY!!"

I can't help but wonder if she thought she found a magical rock that was going to make her fly up high to the trees so she could see the moon...

Haha--gotta love toddler conversations and imagination. :)

Coffee...Pancakes...and a loose Sphincter

I pour myself a cup of coffee and take a sip, as I savor the warm liquid while it runs down my throat I think, "Ahh, there's nothing quite like this." A moment to myself. I take my cup to the table and sit down to enjoy a mid-morning pancake snack when I hear the baby stir through the monitor. I shove half a pancake in my mouth, hoping the baby will fall back asleep. He starts to cry.

I look at the clock, he's only been asleep for 30 minutes.

Its a new day, I got a decent amount of sleep the night before for a mom with a nine-week-old, my attitude is fresh, my energy is high...and with my savory cup of coffee in hand I can't help but look on the bright side of things. I rush into the room where my sweet baby is laying and attempt to soothe him back to sleep, anxious to get back to my coffee cup.

I succeed after a few minutes. Yes! And I sit down again to satisfy my growling stomach.

The pancake is halfway to my mouth when the baby cries again. Sigh. I go back to my stirring babe.

It takes longer to get him back to sleep, but I do. My luke-warm coffee is calling my name but this time I don't even get out of the room before he wakes up again.

So, I get him back to sleep...again.

And again...

...and again.

And I realize just how quickly I went from being hopeful and optimistic to feeling frustrated and exhausted.

This is my morning....that lasts all day long.

Two Three words: acid reflux, sucks.

It appears to be hitting a peak, which I've read is common around this age. Sigh. There is nothing quite like being thrown up on 15+ times a day--I can only imagine how terrible it is for him...

I try to remember that, his discomfort, when he's waking up constantly. Or when he squirms, fidgets and pulls away in the midst of nursing. Or at 3am when I get up for the third time that night and he throws up down my shirt and in my hair....

But it's hard.

Its hard to go from being so in love with the cute little boy that smiles and coos, to feeling frustrated and irritated that he won't stay asleep. It's hard to remember it isn't his fault when it's 6am and you maybe got a total of 3 hours of sleep since 11pm the night before. Or when you've put him back to sleep five times in an hour-and-a-half. It's hard to go from feeling hopeful for a solid nap to realizing that today was worse than yesterday. It's hard to feel like you couldn't possibly be any happier in life, then go to feeling like you can't possibly take another day of craziness. It's an emotional ride...to say the least...

No wonder I look like I stuck my finger in a light socket by the time my husband gets home.

It's such a shame because if my sweet boy didn't have an acid reflux problem he would be the easiest baby. He is so incredibly happy and content when his stomach isn't bugging him. He's full of smiles and coos and he especially loves to listen to his sister and his daddy talk to him. He rarely cries, even when he is uncomfortable. He puts himself to sleep (at the beginning of nap hour), and loves to be snuggled.

It's hard, and I crawl into bed at night entirely exhausted and wonder how will I do it all over again tomorrow? But somehow God gives me a new strength and energy every morning because I wake up and think that there simply cannot be any two better children in this whole world than my own.

And I find myself loving them even more than I did the day before. And I find myself excited and privileged to be their mom. And I find myself learning things about myself and about my children and I realize how exciting it is to grow as a family as well as improve as an individual. 

So, we will get through this. We'll take it day by day...I'll continue to remind myself to be present in each moment and to stop dwelling on the time or things that got lost or neglected. 

...Because a cup of coffee tastes great whether it's hot or cold...so why the heck should I care if I get to drink it right away or a little while later? 

"B"

I think "B" deserves his own post. I mean, he's been part of our lives for two-and-a-half years. He's seen us through sleepless nights, teething, pacifier weaning, sickness, potty training, car rides...you name it. He's Vienna's trusty blankie. 

She has been attached to him from the beginning. She cuddled with him when she as newborn, she loved the soft material against her face while she slept. Ever since then B has gone wherever Vienna has gone. She chewed on him while she teethed. She snuggled him every night, every nap time--its pretty much impossible for her to fall asleep without her B....

 

So after two-and-a-half years of that kind of toddler love...B is starting to look a little...worn:

And this is a good picture of him. If you could only smell him. And feel him. Lets just say....B doesn't have a lot of life left him. He's been through countless potty accidents. A vaseline mess. Sick nights. Dirty cars...you name it. 

This made me super sad. I know Vienna isn't even close to detaching from her B. But I shudder at the thought of snuggling him for another couple years...I mean, seriously, when you cuddle with your sweet girl and then she throws a nasty, stinky blankie next to your face so she can lean against you...it kind of ruins the moment. 

I can only imagine how many germs are wedged in all the little crevices and fibers of that thing.

I've done it before, with no luck, but I decided to see if there was any way I could find another one. The blanket is discontinued and when I looked awhile back the only duplicate I could find was on amazon for $60. Yeah, exactly...No way. It might be a special blankie...and it might be that gross, but $60 is just a little ridiculous. However, this time when I looked I happened to find one on ebay for a little less than half that price. To me it was still a lot of money for a blanket...especially since I had no idea if my plan would even work. But I went out on a limb and ordered it.

Vienna kept pointing out the rips and tears in her B and I kept telling her I was going to fix it. Hoping that perhaps this could play in my advantage when the new one arrived and especially since she seemed to be extremely concerned about the state of her B. 

When the new B came in the mail I instantly knew there was no way Vienna was going to swap her old one for this one. It smelt funny new, it was stiff, and bright. I had no clue how I was going to replace the old one for the new one...I knew reasoning with a toddler wasn't going to work, especially when Vienna has a meltdown every time B needs to have a "bath." So the new blanket sat in my laundry room for several days while I debated whether or not to return it. Finally I decided to throw it in with pretty much every load of laundry I did to try and "wear it in." Since Vienna constantly holds her B to her face and smells it...I knew I had to do something about that new stench. So I thought it would be a good idea to sneak the new blankie in bed with her at night after she fell asleep--when Finley got up to eat in the early morning hours I'd simply go back in and take him out...hoping that in doing so the new blanket would start to pick up that familiar smell. 

A good idea, right? I thought so. Except, three days after I started doing that I totally forgot to take him out when Finely got up to eat in the morning. I thought about it around 6am...and knew there was no way I could sneak him out without waking her up. This was going to be interesting...Vienna was going to discover she had two B's...how was I going to explain that one?

Like every morning, Vienna came stumbling into my room and came to my side of the bed. Like always, she was clutching her B, ready to crawl into bed with me and snuggle for a few short minutes before she would ask me to "be all done" (i.e. get up.) I was shocked when I saw that the blanket she was clutching was the new one! She didn't say a word about it and crawled into bed. 

No way. It was that simple?

Apparently. Before she had a chance to notice I snuck into her room and found the old B buried in her bedding. I think he got lost in the mess and when she got up she didn't even notice that there were two. 

The switch was made, by accident! Perhaps Vienna thinks that Mommy finally fixed her B. ???

Oddly enough when I found the old B lying, discarded in the bed, I was sad. Even though he stunk, looked bad, and totally grossed me out...I thought about all those moments that made him like that and I simply could no throw him away. Instead, I stuck him in a basket on a shelf and decided that I would have to make a decision about what to do with him later. That was a week ago...and I still cannot bring myself to toss him--even if Vienna is totally happy and in love with her new B. 

Silly, I know...I guess I'm just sentimental. 

I do have to say, however, that I am entirely glad to have a renewed life in B. He's still the same old B that goes everywhere with V...here's to a couple more years of life fluffy guy!

A Weekend Away

This past weekend Andy and I were able to get away for a bit of alone time. Well..."alone" meaning, us and Finley. :) We had a wedding reception to go to in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and my mother-in-law offered for Vienna to come stay at her house for a day or so and then they would meet us in Wisconsin. So Andy and I took off a day early to get away from life at home and to spend some time alone.

Classic "start of the trip" photo shot

 Checking out the Leinenkugel brewery

Daddy and Finley at the sampling bar

 Leisure walk at Irvine park

One last attempt at a couple shot

Firstly...it is always so much fun to get away with my husband. We love our kids, but there is something priceless about being able to carry on a conversation without being interrupted several times. It's so important for a married couple to not get lost in the chaos of children...which is so easy to do. To stay connected and be able to invest in each other. 

Secondly...it is amazing how your perspective changes after adding another child to your family. It felt so much easier just having Finely to take care of then it felt when we just had Vienna as a baby. Its the simple fact of adjustment. Going from 0 to 1 child was an adjustment, 1 to 2 is an adjustment as well. So going from 2 to 1 for 48 hours made us feel like it was really "easy" to just have one kid. 

But man...I sure did miss this little girl.

So happy to be back together again.

(V's expression cracks me up in the picture!)

It was a fun time. :) For Us. For Vienna. For Grandma too (I think) ;) 

And for Finley as well, I'm sure he loved the extra attention.

And after a long drive we were all too happy to relax and be home...

 

Little Artist

Vienna's recent obsession...

Coloring. To the extreme.

Granted--she's always loved to color, but lately it is ALL she wants to do. Its the first thing she does when she wakes up in the morning...before she goes to bed...and all the time in-between. She pulls out her box of markers and crayons, helps herself to a paper or a coloring page...and colors away. 

She absolutely loves it. I wouldn't doubt she dreams about coloring...

I don't mind at all. Not only does it keep her occupied, but it is just so fun to watch her do something that she loves. She calls them: "my picture," which is so stinkin cute to hear her say. She's so proud of her drawings. She shows every one of them to us, often holding it up saying, "Ta-da!" 

Often times she'll show me her picture as it progresses and go back to the table to add more to it. When she's finished she likes to hang them on the fridge...

Or on the wall in our bedroom.

It is super fun to watch how her coloring style progresses and what she decides to do each time. Sometimes her pictures have consistent patterns, other times they're totally random. It breaks my heart to throw a single drawing away.

She goes through probably at least 15 pieces of paper a day...no lie. And there is constantly random drawings strewn across the floor at all hours of the day. We ran out of paper yesterday and she was so sad about it all day long. I told her Daddy was bringing some home from work and the minute he walked through the door she asked him for the paper. 

My little artist...just a little obsessed. :)